Naruto: A Forgotten path
by Zero icefox
Summary: The blatant sabotage, the cruel words and hate filled glances, the betrail, he was all to used to it, from the moment he was born he had been cursed and nothing could change that... nothing but a god, a new destiny is revealed, behold the Forgotten Path.
1. Replaying life

**Fic used to be called **** NARUTO: REPLAY ****but I'm reworking the plot and the title just sounded crappy.**

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><p>You appear in a spaces looking room with comfortable looking furniture and find yourself immediately forced down into a comfortable chair. Sitting across from you is what appears to be a white anthropomorphic fox with two tails and ice blue markings dressed in baggy black tracker bottoms and dark blue t-shirt with a chinese dragon depicted surrounding the words bad to the core, said fox also appears to be smirking at you. He snaps his fingers and a screen appears in front of you, and the fox disappears you look around before shrugging and reading from the screen.<p>

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><p>Zero here, be kind and review, say what's good and bad, criticise and tell me how to make it better, give me ideas for future chapters, but don't flame, do not say things with the intent to hurt and do not say how the story is bad unless you say how to fix and improve the parts you think don't work.<p>

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><p>I do not own Naruto and any other character from licensed animémanga movie extra my own characters belong to me so you can't have them (sticks tongue out)

Yes I have decided to rewrite this fic, frankly put it would have never worked in the long run basic plots still the same and it will probably still have some video game elements to it but this time it won't be based on it.

"Hello" –speaking

'Hello'- thinking

Hello-written words

_Hello_ -sarcasm or empathise

"**Hello"**- different language talking

**'Hello' **- different language thinking

**Hello**- different language writing

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><p>"<strong>CHIDORI!"<br>"RASENGAN!**"

The two attacks collided with each other causing a crimson orb of energy to surround them.

'Damn it, at this rate, I'll lose!' Thought Naruto as Sasuke smirked at him with his "I am so superior then you" smirk on his face. The sheer power of the two mighty attacks shook the very earth around them and causing the lake beneath them to form massive waves venturing outwards. Waves of power flew off them Kyuubi's demonic taint and the condensed corrosive soul energy being spilt recklessly from Sasuke.

**BOOM!**

Naruto jerked away pain sparkling through his body

"H'e dobe" Sasuke uttered before taking off to find orochimaru to find the power to kill his brother.

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><p>He stared as the retreating form of his grandfather as he walked away, he'd stopped calling out when they'd slashed out his vocal cords almost 5 years ago.<p>

He remembered that day all too well, the day the ANBU came for him, the day he had been thrown in this cramped cell, the day he was found guilty of existence, the day he lost faith in his grandfather.

He smiled as he walked to the corner of his cell and reaching under a pile of rags to retrieve a kunai, it was old and rusted but it would do the job. It had been surprisingly easy to get from when the shinobi used him as target practice, but that was not the point he had to give the old man a present, one that really showed his feelings.

The screech of metal hitting metal was what alerted the ageing Hokage first, the sound of spilt blood hitting the floor was what haled him, the sight of the boy who had chomped his own head off scared him, and the message written in blood made him break down and cry.

I'm finally free old man, finally free of you and your village. May you all burn in hell along with me.

**Konohagakure's **monster Naruto Uzumaki died and the village rejoiced.

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><p>"<strong>CHIDORI!"<br>"RASENGAN!**"

The two attacks collided with each other causing an orb blue of energy to surround them.

'Damn it this isn't working!' Thought Naruto as Sasuke smiled at him with his "I am so much more then you" smile on his face. The sheer power of the two mighty attacks shook the very earth around them and causing the lake beneath them to form massive waves venturing outwards. Waves of power flew off them Kyuubi's demonic taint and the condensed corrosive soul energy being spilt recklessly from Sasuke. Naruto's control slipped and the Rasengan dispersed

**shwaaaazzzzzzzzzzz!**

Naruto jerked away pain tearing through his body, his best friends hand now embedded in his chest.

"H'e dobe" Sasuke said before taking off to find orochimaru-sama to find the power to beat his brother.

Naruto stared at the retreating form of his brother, as he fled silent tears falling as his mind drifted away.

…...

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><p>"<strong>CHIDORI!"<strong>

**MULTI-SHADOW CLOME JUT... **Naruto yelled only to be torn in to by Sasuke's **Chidori.**

**BOOM!**

"Pathetic, dobe!" The last Uchiha spat as he dashed away

And then there was nothing but blackness.

…...

…...

it was dark Naruto noted, seemed they'd decided look him in the cupboard again, letting a small smile grace his lips he silently lifted one of the floorboards up revealing the small supply of food hidden within the small crevice, he had been lucky this time, he would get to eat, the matron of the orphanage was a cruel woman especially on this day, the worst day of the year, his birthday, October 10th.

His face twisted into a snarl at that, it had been a year since it had happened, the day all his hopes and dreams faded, the day they cut his chakra, the day he'd learnt the truth about this village.

The old man had secured him a place in the academy, he would soon be moving out, into his own apartment where he'd be safe.

He had been so happy, but the matron had convinced the old man to let him stay one more night, one more terrifying night, that had been the moment it all went to hell.

As soon as the old man was gone, he had been bound tightly and strapped down to a table, and then another woman appeared, though this one had the symbol of the village proudly hung upon her forehead, she was a medic-Nin and cruel smirk played across her lips, her face twisted with insanity.

She had forced something down his through and then begun cutting his body open with a scalpel, making careful strokes across his body seemingly at random, gleaming down at him with those cold, joyful eyes.

It was only when the Kyuubi's chakra emerged to heal him had she had smiled and told him what she planned to do, he screamed himself horse while she cut his chakra network apart, letting chakra collect in certain spots while it bled out of others.

It must have been hours after that he felt a new pain surfacing from his gut, this time from the poison she had fed him, the poison spreading throughout his body like a plague twisting his chakra into something foul and then that foul, tainted chakra seeped into his disfigured system, how the Kyuubi rushed to heal it only for it to leave one result, the destruction of his chakra network, the pool at the base of his gut, the strings to his heart and brain being the only thing left, something the medic had been delighted to tell him was on purpose, she told him how his limbs would decay, how soon he'd be nothing more than a husk, even as she continued cutting his tendons to ribbons, he had been forced to lie there not being able to move, till the old man came the next morning.

The Kyuubi had yet again somehow managed to heal him to stop the decay, but his chakra network it was in taters, and his voice...he had none, he couldn't tell them what happened, the medic had still been found out but the matron, no she remained, still remained to make his life hell, and yet he lived why? The fox wouldn't let him die, not yet but instead it whispered thoughts of hate and destruction against the villagers, the old man and the village itself.

O how he wanted to, but he couldn't not now, not ever.

The fox had tried but that foul tainted chakra still lingered inside him, working against the Kyuubi's will, only letting it only whisper tales of horror into his mind, it made promises of revenge once they escaped there shell, how the kitsune would let the boy kill the matron himself, making her feel all the pain he felt again and again for all eternity.

Kyuubi's words soothed him even as the door opened and the matron glared at him, yes one day he'd be free and then they'd both get there revenge.

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><p>"<strong>CHIDORI!"<br>"Bijūdama!**"

The two attacks collided with each other causing an orb blue of energy to surround them.

'Damn it this isn't working!' Thought Sasuke as Naruto snarled at him a look of pure hatred on his face. The sheer power of the two mighty attacks shook the very earth around them and causing the lake beneath them to form massive waves venturing outwards. Waves of power flew off them Kyuubi's demonic taint and the condensed corrosive soul energy being spilt recklessly from Sasuke.

**BOOM!**

Sasuke was blown away inputting with the cliff behind him.

Sasuke growled as he looked up a look of pure terror on his face as he saw thousands of Naruto's flying towards him Kyuubi's cloak formed around them all.

"**Menacing ball" **they growled out in one.

"D...dobe...thank you"

And so was the end of Sasuke Uchiha as flame elemental energy boiled his bones and blood, as demonic energy ate through his chakra and as corrosive storm energy spread his body to atoms.

In a bizarre sense of freedom Sasuke looked over at Naruto his body gone, his spirit floating in the wind.

Naruto stared at the spiritual form of Sasuke Uchiha he'd heard those last words and it sum what confirmed his suspicions about the cure seal he sighed and looked up at the sky Sasuke had been a good friend and sum one who had understood his pain "Sasuke lets meet up in the next life, wait for me would you?" a few seconds passed and he smirked turning away his plans had changed Konoha could wait first he had a snake to skin.

"I'd like that... goodbye Naruto...you were the only true friend that I had...I... I hope we do meet again" he said as he started to fade away

Naruto smirked he'd heard what Sasuke said thanks to the Kyuubi incanting his senses... it made him feel happy "don't worry Sasuke fist orochimaru will die then Konoha will burn, and maybe after that I can join you"

"Naruto look out!" Sasuke cried out in shock.

"AGG" Naruto cried out in both shock and pain as his head rolled from his body

"fool" the figure smirked before yelling out in pain in fear as the Kyuubi was released upon the earth once again and this fool new pain that would all but destroy his soul only for it to happen again and again for all eternity, yes Kyuubi was pissed he'd actually come to like this host.

…...

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><p>"<strong>CHIDORI!"<br>"RASENGAN!**"

The two attacks collided with each other causing an orb of black sickly energy to surround them.

'Damn it why isn't this working!' Though Naruto as Sasuke smirked at him with his "I am so much more superior then you will ever be" smirk on his face. The sheer power of the two mighty attacks shook the very earth around them and causing the lake beneath them to form massive waves venturing outwards. Waves of power flew off them Kyuubi's demonic taint and the condensed corrosive soul energy being spilt recklessly from Sasuke. Naruto's control slipped and the Rasengan dispersed

**BOOM!**

Naruto jerked away pain burning through his body as a hand now embedded in his chest where his heart had previously rested.

"Dobe you never could win against an elite Uchiha" Sasuke uttered before taking off to find Orochimaru-teme to find the power to avenge his brother.

…...

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><p>"Why?" a Naruto asked even as more of his lifeblood escaped him, dripping down onto the already blood-stained floor.<p>

He'd done everything for the village, he'd starved, and he'd begged, he'd bled and killed for this village but it was never enough and now...now they'd done this.

She said he'd be useful, said he could save lives, that the other villagers would be happy and smile at him... and like a fool he'd believed them, he'd followed her to a warehouse, never once thinking it would be a trap, and now he was chained up, cut open and being dissected.

"Why?" the person in front of him giggled at him before her expression suddenly twisted into a sneer, "why do you think, little monster?, you live, you breath and you won't fucking die!" the Kunoichi shouted in bizarre mixture of delight and anger as she jammed yet another scalpel into his bare flesh.

Naruto just stared at her eyes vacant and hollow, he'd heard similar things before, it always hurt, hurt because he dint understand, was it a crime for him to live? To breath? To exist at all?

She truly was a beautiful woman, maybe that was why he'd been so ready to except her words?, long flowing dark hair and blue eyes that had seemed to smile at him, she wore a Chunin vest over a long red dress that hugged her slender frame, maybe that was another, ninja had always been kinder to him, they'd saved him from the villagers countless times, he'd thought they'd protect him, they would save him instead of hurting him as everyone else had.

"but that's a good thing" the Kunoichi giggled again in that insane tone of hers "think about all the lives we could save, the illnesses we could cure, with all the poisons and deceases iv slipped to you over the years I certainly hope so" she cackled into the young blonds face, her expression quickly turning to one of confusion. "you dint no?" she cackled happily "suki-chan was so helpful, drugging you're food for me, it was possibility thrilling to hear how you wolfed it down like a starving animal, after all that's what you are"

Her expression once again changed this time into a pout "but you dint die, you dint even get ill I was so disappointed" she voice now low and sorrowful as she cut into his throat, tarring his vocal cords to pieces. "but then!" she shouted, her voice once again incredibly happy "then I realised how good that was, how much of an opportunity you were, how using you, I could become the best medic-Nin of all time!", "but you had to ruin it dint you?" she said pouting once more "getting Hokage-sama to in-role you in the ninja academy, it would have ruined everything"

she laughed "then this little boy came into the hospital, he was such a poor boy, not being able to use chakra at all, and I thought, why did this little boy have to suffer so much when demons like you still lived?" the insane Kunoichi give a hysterical cackle her voice no longer hollow but filled with genuine excitement "then it came to me, what if I screwed up your chakra network so bad it would never heal? I could even fix that little boys network with what I'd learnt, I'd be a hero!" she stopped once again glaring at his hollow eyes "but suki-chan count convince him to let you stay one more night, no he sent her to be interrogated instead, you ruined all my plans, now suki-chans gone, dead because of you"

"she dint tell anyone about me though, and while it's taken a year I can finally have revenge for all of the lives you've killed and ruined and I can still become the next Tsunade, all I need is your body, you don't even have to be alive" she yelled out in excitement, her eyes gaining a calculating edge, her hand suddenly launching forward, intent on plunging her kunai into his brain.

He watched it slowly came flying towards him, it was true what they say, when you're about to die everything slows down and your life flashes before your eyes, it was sad and terrifying, to be domed to your fate, to be able to do nothing to prevent it, watching your own horrifying memoires till your last moment.

He watched as the kunai came closer and closure, as with each second past he came closer and closure to death...and then the world turned white.

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><p>A figure walked upon a white void, as screams of pain echoed around him.<p>

"This world….how horrible….to suffer such a fate, to be domed to repeat over and over again….never escaping the pain of you existence…. I can feel it; no it's not just that…your marker…..torn and torn again, how have you survived so long?"

The figures form is something that would seem quit strange to a normal mortal, it was after all a white humanoid fox with two tailed and ice blue markings, wearing baggy black tracker bottoms and dark blue t-shirt with a Chinese dragon depicted surrounding the words bad to the core.

The fox suddenly clutches his head a hollow screech echoing out of his mouth….. "I….I see, such a horrid fate, that man had no idea…..he tried to prolong your existence and he did but also doomed you to an eternity of pain….. But now even that is crumbling, this world doomed to fade…. it isn't your fault and yet the pain is yours to bear alone for their mistake. Your old creator, your original Two chosen, did they not know what they had done, did they not understand it?"

"there are too many variables to understand…..no way of knowing the truth….if I may ask what are your chosen's forms?..."

"….."

"That many? So many more then I had imaged, it is no wonder the pain you suffer is so suffer, split so many time's, your chosen in conflict, consumed by malice, the pain must be unbearable.

I could not save you, not as things are, my power is two weak and your chosen in disarray, but what ties you together, could it be undone?

"….."

"I see,….that could make things easier, I do not know if is possible, I am still too young to understand but maybe…..what if I issued a challenge of hereditas….could that work?"

"…" a strange happiness echoed throughout the void

"It would then….I requests a challenge of inheritance, to decide who should walk upon this world's thrown, the aim of the challenge being to guide this world from destruction and towards a different path. I now present to you my terms of entering as well as the rules this game will follow, such as my right as first challenger.

I request the use of your chosen, when will is freely given, and only when the terms and truth be told, you, this world shall act as judge, to allow entry to only those you see fit, a price must be paid that is deemed sufficient, and intent must be given upon the joining, to stop the weak and corrupted, the time be set and non but the judge to manipulate it…..my own price….I see thank you…my price to be doomed should I fall to take your place as judge and your pain as you sleep, in till a victor is chosen and you once again awaken"

"Is this satisfactory?...yes….then have a favour to ask" he fox said forming a fragment of crystal energy "take this and give it to your chosen before he separates the other into parts, it should hopefully increase the stability of this world and give us more time…. "

"Yes that is true, but this is a world of ninja, any advantage is a good one and without it…it would take too long…to long for both of us"

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><p>you want to know why iv been absent so long...read my profile page...<p>

and remember reviews make me happy, flamers make me sad and nothing at all means I have no motivation.


	2. The Contract

Zero here, be kind and review, say what's good and bad, criticise and tell me how to make it better, give me ideas for future chapters, but don't flame, do not say things with the intent to hurt and do not say how the story is bad unless you say how to fix and improve the parts you think don't work.

I do not own Naruto and any other character from licensed animé/manga movie.

My own characters and ideas involving them however do belong to me so you can't have them (sticks tongue out)

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><p>(Note I will often put things I want an opinion on up on my profile so be sure to check it regularly)<p>

(This chapter has just been quick-spell gramer fixed)

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><p>The world appeared to twist and distort before his eyes, images and sounds, shifting and changing to unknown will, leaving behind only strange and bury manifestations of things that shouldn't exist, things that his mind refused to comprehend and instead disregarded them altogether.<p>

Not even that lasted long however, as everything seemed to disintegrate in-front of him, ripped apart into balls of pure energy, energy that seemed to fly off in every direction, leaving behind only a void filled only with intertwisting shades of blacks, whites and greys, shifting and curling around him.

Was this what it felt like to fade away?... To die, he wondered? To be surrounded by a void that pulled you in every direction, while you were forced to watch as everything you ever loved and knew fading away around you?

And yet still, he remained, why? His world was fading away, people, places, memory's they were all disappearing, dissolving into a sea of madness, gone without a trace, leaving no evidence of their existence behind.

The light burning with protective desire…. the darkness all-consuming with instinctive care.

He could feel it's now, his mind, starting to fade away, his thought becoming more and more hazy as the void ripped and tugged at his mind, wiping it clean, so he could start again.

It whispered to him, the void, telling him to relax, that nothing could hurt him now, that he could sleep and be at peace, there was no longer any need for him to struggle as he once had_._

It sounded all so tempting he thought, after years and years of abuse and starvation, he was free, he could relax and be at peace, the world could go on without him.

His eyes closed, his breath stalled...a hollow pain was ripped from his soul...a prisoner being separated...it did not matter, he dint know what it was, nor did he care, all that mattered was sleeping... he hadn't slept in so long and he was so very tired...

"Naruto!" a voice shouted out from the void causing the blond haired youths eyes to snap open, his mind unfogging and the felling of something being ripped from his soul stalled.

"Hope" the voice whispered "that's all I need hope, and I can stop this, do you want to die? To let them win? Are you that weak? Do not give up and you can win, you can beat them" the voice once again called out, though it was softer this time, echoing with a strange kindness and sorrow.

His mind begin to spin as his body flipped in on itself ' let them win?...I don't want to die...but do I have any chose?... could I win just this once?'

His very being gave a lunch as something knocked into him, pulling him away, away from the void and towards something unknown.

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><p>Sapphire eyes snapped open at the sound of rustling wind and were shocked at what he saw, nothing but an endless desert, with only scorched stone, decayed plants and blacked sand for as far as the eye could see.<p>

It felt so empty, 'where was everything?...everyone?' Naruto thought to himself, 'where was Konoha?...did they all disappear?'

"This world..." a familiar voice suddenly spoke out from behind him, causing him to real around in shock and gaze upon the appearance of whatever it was that had pulled him out of that void.

It was a young boy, one only a little older then himself. The boy looked terribly thin and his skin seemed to be a deathly pale, he was wearing simple black joggers and a navy t-shirt with a serpentine dragon on it, but by far the strangest thing about the boy was his hair, it was _white _and was styled so that it spiked out at the front then degraded into an untameable mess, hidden behind spiky bangs and narrow glasses, there were a pair of icy blue eyes that stared forth, seemingly boring into Naruto's very soul.

Shaking his head slightly to get those slightly creepy thoughts out of his head, he took another glance at the boy, hoping he would explain exactly where they were.

"Empty, barren, lifeless" the boy continued on ignoring the strange looks Naruto was giving him.

"Dying...doomed to fade away, slowly and painfully in till nothing is left"

"Where are we?" Naruto suddenly spoke out, this whole situation was getting creepy and there was an uneasy feeling in the base of his gut that frankly scared him senseless.

"The future" the boy intoned his tone becoming bland and emotionless.

Naruto reeled in shock, this was the future? What had happened to everything, more to the matter what had happened to _him_!

"Or is it the past?" the boy spoke again once again ignoring the strange look Naruto was throwing him.

"Well which it is then" Naruto practically yelled, he dint like this, something was off and the boy infrount of him seemed to have something to do with it.

"Both" the boy replayed much to Naruto's disdain; he was seriously starting to get annoyed with the boy now.

"both yet nether...a paradox in upon itself...this place has been called many names, Valhalla, the arena and the unseen world...so many names but the meaning still remain the same"

The boy suddenly turned to face Naruto with eyes that seemed to look through him.

"In this place time stands still, endless possibilities exist and the fate of a world may be decided."

"So..am I'm dead?" Naruto intoned sorrowfully, a place like this, it count possibly exist, and his last memory had been him about to die... it wasn't much of a surprise given everything that had happened, but it was still hard to swallow, to end in such a way, never to understand the happiness other felt..., it sucked in his opinion but it was too late now.

"yes...and no" the boy once again spoke with that same sorrowful tone that twisted new feelings inside his gut, happiness, but also a painful unease, why couldn't the boy give him a straight answer, was he dead or not.

"What the hell are you talking about teme!" Naruto yelled back at the boy only for him to smile and gave a hollow chuckle, but Naruto could see amusement in the other boys eyes...had what he'd said made the boy happy?

"This place is a crossroads" the boy intoned once again, yet this time his voice felt lighter, less sorrowful?

"...a place of life...and death, this is a place where an infinity of possibilities exists, a place where nothing has been decided...and everything can change... this place, it is the heart of your world".

Naruto's eyes snapped towards the boy, in shock and confusion. "The world's heart" he spoke to himself to which the boy nodded, if anything was possible, did this mean he could live? That it wasn't over for him yet?

"In this place, all of time can be viewed to one's desire, whether it be a 'true' one" the boy said as he snapped his fingers causing an image to appear of Konoha after the Kyuubi had been defeated, wounded but victorious, "or a fake one" the image shifted and changed this time showing a burning village under the Kyuubi's paws.

"But which is in this reality the 'truth'?" the boy spoke again as the images dissipated. "It can all change in moments, to conform to a new reality while the old fades away...a fate I saved you from"

Naruto could only stare at the boy confused "why" he ushered in shock and confusion, why had this boy saved him? And how had he? Was it something to do with this place?

"I saw this world repeat itself countless times, each time getting weaker, your chance or success getting smaller and smaller, I watched you die countless times, each time fading away to reveal a new version, each only slightly different... and then I found a way to help you...to help this world, I made a deal with this world's heart and pulled you from the time-line just as you were about to die."

"What happens to me now?" Naruto asked the strange boy who was apparently powerful enough to rip him from time itself.

"that decision...that is no longer up to me to decide but instead falls to you...I can no longer influence this world, I am not one of its chosen" the boy said morbidly before a bright happy smile flashed across his face, surprising Naruto somewhat at the boys sudden change in emotions.

"You however are, you carry a fragment of the truth of this world inside your soul, a shard of its marker. This shard of truth was what allowed me to separate you from the time-line and bring you here, to give you a choice"

The boy once again snapped his fingerers again and two more images appeared either side of him, one was much to Naruto's horror, an image of himself, a kunai lodged in his brain, the insane Kunoichi from before cracking over him.

The other Naruto thought was much nicer, it showed him, laughing and talking with faceless friends, villagers giving him not glares but instead small smiles... it was perfect... he wanted it, he tentatively reached out towards it as if to grasp it, only for his hand to go through it, the image displacing around his digests.

"one path leads to destruction, while the other leads to salvation, it is obvious which one you would choose, but that is also the one with the price" the boy said at the blond who was still trying in vain to hold onto the image that he so desperately craved.

"Naruto" the boy coughed trying to gain the boys attention. "Do you want that possibility to become your reality?" Naruto's head snapped towards him rapidly nodding, his eyes holding only hope and longing.

"Then listen or the other is what you will receive" the boy lightly scolded Naruto, who immediately sat down in front of him attentively, if a bit fidgety.

"Now as I said you have a choice, one leads to your destruction" the boy said pointing at the image of Naruto's death before pointing towards the other, frankly happier image "and the other leads to your salvation".

"but salvation is not free" the boy intoned appearing to be staring straight through him, while giving off an aura of power, something that seemed to scream at something in the back of Naruto's mind to be afraid.

"I am known as Zero, a being of the higher plane, what you would call a kami, a spirit or even a deity if you will, I have brought you hear to offer you a second chance, one as my warrior, my avatar upon this world, that is your prise for salvation".

The newly named Zero held up a hand to quiet down the shocked Naruto before continuing.

"But again it is not that easy, this world is dying, doomed to an infinity of pain and there is few who could save it. A shard like you could, in theory, with enough luck and effort have a chance, but the original fragment has been split many times, each carrying a personality of their own and each with different goals."

"You would have to battle a great many foes, struggle to change the world towards your chosen path, it will not be an easy journey, you would however not be going empty handed, a shard never is, but as an avatar then benefits are even more so."

Zero held out a hand towards Naruto "would you accept this condition, would you become my avatar and save this dying world"

"They would love me" Naruto asked the spirit in a horse whisper.

Zero smiled and ruffled Naruto's blond hair "in time you would gain that and more, loved ones, friends, family...the power you so desire, it could all be yours, do you accept?"

Naruto nodded, the hope of a new life replacing the despair of his old one.

"Then it is time for you to leave now, Naruto, a new destiny awaits. I meanwhile have other matter's to attend, but take comfort in the fact I will be there to catch you should you fall."

Naruto could only gasp out in shock as his form began to disintegrate into balls of light, his mind being transported elsewhere.

"Now then, let's get this over with, shall we Kurama?"

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><p>Furies crimson eyes gassed upon a Barron world, what had the useless flesh-bags done now, were they trying to destroy the world again?<p>

"Now then, let's get this over with, shall we Kurama?" A voice called out behind him.

The Kyuubi's slitted eyes turned to face the newcomer...another small flesh-bag, yet this one knew his name, this may prove interesting.

"Flesh-bag, explain, how is it that you know of my name?" he growled out, it wasn't a question but rather a command, one that would be followed...or else.

The small flesh-bag sighed, before speaking in a disappointed tone.

"You no for some reason I thought you would be smarter than this, antagonising an unknown entity in an unknown location, really Kurama I expected better."

Kurama growled out in furry at the insult the small flesh-bag had thrown him, how dare it say such a thing to him, the great Kyuubi no kitsune? He was smarter then all those useless flesh-bags combined.

"You overstep your bounds flesh-bag, speak or I small devourer you where you stand" the Kyuubi growled out his voice loud, booming and filled with malice.

Then the flesh-bag just laughed, Laughed at him, the nerve of this little upstart, it had only been the curiosity as to how the flesh-bag had known his name that had kept it alive, but now he now longer cared, he would rip that little flesh bag to pieces, watch in glee as it screamed out till its final breath, oh how delightful that would be.

"Wakey, wayey, don't fall asleep now, ok Kyuubi-kun" the flesh-bag was on his nose! How in the nine hells had it managed to do that?

He rose in paw to batter the flesh-bag of his nose, only for the rapidly growing annoyance to back flip of him _laughing_!

Growling out he lashed out with his left paw, intent on crushing the annoying bug.

The flesh-bag just stood there laughing, a single paw raised towards him, as his paw crashed into an invisible barrier that was now surrounding the flesh-bag.

Kurama grunted, it seems this little upstart wasn't all talk but to deflect his power like that...no something wasn't right, something about this flesh-bag gave him a feeling in the base of his gut that was becoming increasingly familiar.

"Honestly Kurama, you are really starting to disappoint me, I meant come on you're a kitsune, think like one, and not like a spoiled brat!" the fleshba...being's tone had become disappointed and...Dark, something was seriously wrong with this whole situation, he decided.

Eyeing the being warily, he pressed his paw against the barrier, only to recoil, staring at his paw in horror at what he found.

_There was no barrier_, it was instead his own energy, his very being had fought against him, rejecting his will.

"So you figured it out hu Kurama? Good, you're finally starting to show those brains of yours."

his head snapped towards the being, only for his mouth to drop open in shock, standing there was no longer a mortal boy , but a white, two-tailed kitsune.

That...that explained things somewhat, this being was not normal and to him being a kitsune was a perfectly reasonable explanation, now all he had to do was find out how it had come into being, perhaps a fraction of his chakra had escaped and formed his own race?

That would be nice; he was getting far too sick of the flesh bags that normally inhabited this planet.  
>"Speak, kit, where are you from, where are we" he said out his voice no longer tinged with malice, but rather curiosity.<p>

The two-tailed laughed "kit, oh it's been so long since anyone called me that, but I suppose you are older than me"  
>Kurama growled as the two-tailed who just rubbed his head sheepishly, before sighing.<p>

"I'm sorry to say this Kurama; really I am, but welcome home, welcome to the True-world"

He nearly choked in shock; this was the True-world, his home! What the hell had happened to it? Where was the jungles, the endless fields, and beautiful lakes...what the bloody hell had happened to the sky, it was _red._

"Kit what the hell happened here" he growled out he was not happy; no whoever had done this would suffer, and suffer_ very, very_ painfully.

The kit sighed as it looked over the bloody horizon "This world is dying, the presence of you and your siblings here had originally been the only thing that had held it together...and now, with each of your presences being sealed off, its deterioration became a rapid one."

"but look" the kit said crouching down and brushing way at the sand, revealing a single flowering bud creeping up in the otherwise lifeless desert "with your presence here, it has started to heal, the shard with you hold in your soul resonating with it, while my own presence accelerates its growth"

"Sadly it is not enough, this world is far too gone, no, more shards are needed to turn this word into a lush paradise once again...so how about is Kurama, would you make a deal with a _god_ in order to restore this place"

"God?" Kurama laughed "there is no god, you may be a kitsune but do not think you can deceive me that easily, I will find by brothers and sisters and return them home, this world will be restored and you, you can ether help or be destroyed"

That laugh was soon stifled as a the white kitsune's aura smashed into him, that strangely familiar power resonating with something inside him to bind him in place.

"I grow weary of this Kurama, even as we talk this world grows weaker, soon to disappear forever, can you not feel it? Can you not feel my own energy intermingled inside you? Keeping you together, keeping you sane?"

He stared at the being in shock...this kitsune, it really was a god? they actually existed? And this one had played a part in his creation...yes he could feel it, a fragment of its power was nestled inside his own, holding him together but also binding him where he stood.

"Kurama" the god sighed "I had hoped the corruption wouldn't have been affected you so much, but I guess I was wrong, your very power would have made it easier for it to ensnare you, but still I had hoped," sighing again he continued" you were so much more back then, but now, your just a shadow of what you used to be"

The god snapped his fingers and Kurama suddenly found he could move again, but a feeling of power exploded from within him, making him tired and sleepy, it was that fragment! What was that god doing to him now? Images, sounds and smells exploding across his senses, these were...his memory's? Why was the god showing him these?

"Relax, Kurama, rest and heal, return who you where before the taint took over and your mind began to degrade, sleep and when you awaken, you shall know the truth, a truth that may very well set you free.

* * *

><p>The 9 tailed kitsune was the one to disappear this time, leaving Zero alone in the endless desert.<p>

"Damn it, I have stop snapping my fingers, it hurts...hu?" his head snapped up seemingly to observe the sky his form shifting and glowing reverting back into the form of a white haired boy.

"Yes..He has changed hasn't he...don't worry when he awakens he will remember everything, that was what my fragment was for, it protected there inner beings while the corruption took their minds, only now it is being returned, when he wakes he will be who he once was."

"I see...glade you approve, any word on if there are any other's...none? That's good, I need time to build them up before then, but what about your?... zero sighed "I see nothing can be done for now, we can only wait and prepare for the coming trials."

"yes...let's hope they do, but I have faith in them, don't you?"

* * *

><p>Light...Blue...red...silver...gold, it surrounded him, protected him, it was <em>him<em> but it was also something _else_...something _more_. It was intoxicating, it was powerful, it was...gone. It had gone vanished without a trace leaving him feeling empty and...Alone?

His body fell no longer being supported by the glowing chains, impacting on the hospital bed with a small bump. He heard voices scrambling towards the nearby door...and then nothing...his mind going blank, his face twisting into a vision of horror as his moth unleashed an unearthly scream, his mind once again falling back into the void of unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>It felt like his body had been pulled apart and then stitched back together...and maybe it had he felt incredibly light and his body felt different, but that currently dint matter, no he had to find out where he was first.<p>

Looking round he found himself back in that strange void of swirling shades, but it had changed somewhat since his last visit, the movement of the swirling shades of black, grey and white seemed to have calmed somewhat, now intermixing peaceful where before it had been a chaotic battle, it was now more like clouds drifting along.

There was also multiple platforms floating in the centre of the void, they boggled his mind quite frankly, they were a large circler shaped disks that seemingly floated in empty space, they also only looked about a meter in length downward but it seemed as if they emerged from everywhere at once, it hurt his head just thinking about it!

They all looked slightly different from what Naruto could tell; the one he was standing on was a blank piece of obsidian with a simplistic stone door seemingly emerging from the far side.

"Welcome" a deep unseen voice echoed through the void making him jump in fright

"Now now easy does it Naruto" A second voice belonging to zero spoke, causing him to calm somewhat.

"Boo!" The first voice shouted out directly behind him Screaming he launched himself to the edge off the platform, turning around he saw...no-one?  
>"Bwahahahah" the first voice laughed<p>

"Ignore him" zeros voice spoke again "it is time for your path to be set, step through the door"

Hesitantly, Naruto slowly turned the door knob of the strange door and steeping through onto another platform, this one made up of red and blue crystal.

Sitting on a thrown made of ice sat the boy/spirit/kami thing honestly he dint know what to call him and the name zero, it sounded a bit weird...well to him it did anyway.

"Welcome Naruto, I do apologise for the pain, it seems your spiritual balance was rather lacking and I had to 'fix it'."

"Fix it? What do you mean?" Naruto said finally getting his bearings.

"Your chakra network was in shambles, you know how chakra is divided into physical and mental energy's?" seeing Naruto's nod he continued "well that isn't entirely true it's more will and power, for example you yin chakra is the mental/spiritual aspect of it, while your yang chakra is your life/physical energy. Do you understand so far?"

"I think so" Naruto spoke "chakra is divided into yin and yang right?"

Zero smiled "correct, the yin is your will and the yang is your life, you have an imbalance of the two with a huge quantity of yang with very little yin, I had to fix that, thankfully my own presence would have increased up your yin anyway, I just had to edit your network slightly."

"em... I had a lot of yang and little yin but now I don't?" he asked confusedly

zero ground "I am so going to kill the bastards you sabotaged your education, then again your yang imbalance dint help much" he sighed before continuing " basically yes, but I balanced out your network by adding some yin and removing some yang, it means your reserves are going to be smaller but your control will improve, you will also hopefully lose your A.D.D"

Naruto nodded before turning a confused expression towards zero "add?"

"a. d. d Attention deficit disorder, you know how you have so much energy you can't sit still or concentrate on things for long, that's basically because your large amount of yang, without it you will hopefully be easier for you to understand things...and settle down"

"I get it...is that why I can understand this better? But what about my chakra will I have to build it up somehow?"

zero laughed "Naruto your chakra reserves are well above most Chunin now, believe me you will not need to 'build it up', and as for your other question yes, though considering where we are your yin has more influence on you then your yang"

"Where exactly are we anyway" Naruto asked his curiosity of his location finally getting the better of him

"this plane is..., well I suppose you can call it a pocket dimension for your soul, every door you see is a gateway to another part to you...or your connection to another, this particular platform represents your connection to me as my avatar...speaking of which" a scroll and a ink pot appeared in zeros hands

Handing them to Naruto he continued "this is the contract that details of you becoming my avatar, read and sign please" turning back to Naruto, he found said boy grinning, holding the, by the looks of it, signed scroll out towards him.

"Did your read it?" seeing Naruto shake his head, groaning zero pushed the scroll back towards Naruto "I never thought it was this bad...forget killing, I will subject them to a prank war, a kitsune prank war...Naruto never sign a contract without reading one, it could turn out very badly for you especially ones that concern your soul. "

"Eh why?" Naruto asked still clutching the scroll. Though his face soon narrowed in fear, as the shadows twisted and conversed onto zero's form, turning him into large intimidating black coloured replica of the Kyuubi no kitsune.

Back-pedalling as far away as possible from the visage of fear, Naruto gulped, his knees going weak as a concentrated blast of killing intent was focused onto him.

"**_Because mortal"_** zero's voice purred from the shadowy construct, now deep and terrifying **_"I now own your soul, you will soon enjoy an eternity of suffering and digestion within my stomach"._**

Then just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone leaving a terrified Naruto shaking on the floor and the now normal zero staring at him. "That is what I meant, had I been a more...cruel godling I would have accepted that contract without hesitation, without letting you read it or telling you of what it entailed. For all you would have known you could have sold your soul for a ball of sting, understand?" zero blinked as he stared at the still shaking Naruto who was rapidly nodding his head and clutching the contract tightly.

Sighing, the god rose from his thrown petting the scared Naruto on the head "Naruto I apologise, I just wanted to make sure this wouldn't happen again...now why don't you read the contract"

Still shaken up from his experience with killing intent he hesitantly opened the scroll and blinked, the contact said:

**It is understood that the undersigned is voluntarily entering into the service of Zero.**

**For the purpose of this contract and clarification, the undersigned shall herein be referred to as the avatar that is entering into the service of Zero.**

**Who shall be referred to as My Lord or Lord. **

**I THE AVATAR DO PLEDGE MY LOYALTY AND SOUL TO THE ONE KNOWN AS **

**ZERO**

**WENO OH NU RED NATS SD EHT URT' 'HT HW, DLOHO S PEHT WO RE FO TE RE YTIN NIHTIW IH IMS DN NA D HTON SENGNI IWS HT NI SIH DOB Y **

**.**

**I the Avatar:**

**Do swear fidelity to My Lord.**

**Will not betray My Lord.**

**Will not sign any contract without My Lords permission.**

**Will enforce My Lords will, when commanded.**

**Will not inform any but those My Lord wishes to about, My Lords presence, the Avatar's status as an Avatar, or this contract.**

**Will swear to serve My Lord to the best of the Avatar's ability.**

**Will to the best of the Avatar's ability, work to convert others to My Lords faith.**

**Will **

**Will to the best of the Avatar's ability, work towards seating My Lord upon the worlds thrown. **

**Will upon times of need the avatar will allow control of my body to My Lord**

**(This section may be eddied at any time with the permission of the Lord and the Avatar.)**

**I The Lord:**

**Will grant power and or ability's to the Avatar as long as they remain loyal and faithful. **

**Will treat the Avatar fairly, and will not punish or harm them for unfair or inappropriate reasons.**

**(This section may be edited at any time with the permitted of the Lord and the Avatar.)**

**This contract will be valid in till such time that both parties' willingly agrees to terminate this contract.**

**Any part of this contract cannot be altered in less both parties willingly agree to it**

**I chose this fate if my own free will**

**The AVATAR:**

**The LORD: Zero.**

That was simple, well apart from the fact his name had disappeared and the strange string of writing that followed Zero's name, something he pointed out to said being.

"O that strange, it lists my title, well the one most appropriate to you, ... My title seems a bit strange, but at least I can work at my role from it, you can't understand it"

"no it looks like a bunch of strange symbols to me" he replied the initial shock and fear now finally fading.

"strange...maybe...no that...could it... no there would have to be and it can't be kur...maybe...no he can't get in till we create a contract...but?" sighing he turned back to Naruto who wore a confused expression "frankly put I'm not really sure, it could be a number of things but to be honest I think its ether what you are and how your souls interacts said demon, your ties to fate of this world, or maybe the fact your body or soul can't handle my power yet...but if I'm right you will be able to understand it sooner or later and since you can understand the other parts the contract will work "

Naruto was still wearing a befuddled expression which once again cased zero to curse several members of Konoha's population.

"Basically, I'm not sure why you can't read it but you will probably be able to later and because you can read the rest it means that the contract will work.

Nodding Naruto asked a question that rather ticked him off "how come the contract is so nice? You made it out to be all evil and stuff, I mean there's a lot of stuff I have to do but they don't seem that bad".

Naruto question a muttered "remedial lessons, torture pits, exploding notes and unleashing kitsune's" from zero before white headed boy cared on

"I was trying to tell you the importance of reading something before you sign it, imagine if that Kunoichi that nearly killed you wrote it and you signed it and then being bound to do whatever they say".

Naruto shivered in fear before his eyes went wide, what had happened to said Kunoichi, "what happened to her, am I still..."

"O gods no...You're currently floating over a hospital bed protected by several glowing chains"

"Above? Chains...you mean those lights?"

"yes those lights are chains, though there only glowing so bright because of you crap chakra control, something that we will be working on, the chains are currently wrapped around you in a sort of protective cocoon and once you wake up I'll be teaching you how to use a variation of them, your mother was quite fierce with them after all"

"My mother" Naruto asked voice tinged with hope

"Yes" zero nodded "Konoha's Red Hot-Blooded Habanero she was also quite good with a sword apparently... and no Naruto you cannot have a sword...maybe in the future"

"My mother was a ninja? not a drunk?" Naruto asked his voice becoming filled with hope and longing.

"yes, a very good and famous one at that, goodness knows why people don't realise your her son, I mean you act like a copy of her and have the same last name, not to mention the Raman obsession and catchphrase." zero sighed once again cursing the stupidity that was Konoha "you will be dropping that catchphrase by the way, no ifs you _will, _I will not have my avatar going around screaming believe it, not only does it make you luck stupid, but if is frankly annoying."

"Now then are you going to sine...or will I have to resort to more extreme actions...like wiping Raman from history?

scrambling Naruto quickly resigned the scroll and handed it back to zero, his face slightly horrified at the mere thought that his beloved Raman would disappear, what would happen to old man Ichiraku and his daughter?.

"good, now then before you return, there are a few...things we will have to go through, namely you learning the ability to keep secrets and a few secrets that have been kept from you" the white haired boy said with a smirk.  
>Naruto gulped somehow he knew this wouldn't be enjoyable.<p>

* * *

><p>...<p>

"The Kyuubi is what?..."

...

* * *

><p>Naruto's eyes open slowly, his head pounding from the lessons and rules that zero had made him go through, turns out there contract wasn't as simple as it looked. And to add all that his body felt exhausted and there was a sort of numbing tingling sensation running throughout his entire body. It was a strange sensation for him, normally by the time he had woken up the pain had long since gone.<p>

But by far the worst feeling was centred on his head, it felt like every part of his brain was being burnt and frozen at the same time yet with the same numbness that ran through the rest of his body.

"Naruto-kun?" An aged voice asked softly, tilting his head to the left he stared at his grandfather figure the 3rd Hokage "hi Ji" his voice cracked out, his throat dry and soar.  
>Groaning he managed to sit up and take in the sights around him.<p>

The Hokage was sitting in next to his bed in what he supposed was a metal hospital chair. His aged face fully of worry, it almost made him doubt...no for now he wouldn't...no couldn't trust the man as he once had...being lied to about his mother, the reason the village hated him, the betrayal of trust from one of the few people he really cared for had left him devastated to some extent and he wouldn't be able to trust his 'Ji' not in till he made things right.

"Naruto? Are you ok?" His Ji...no the Hokage asked "Just thinking" he spoke quietly his voice crackling.  
>"What happened, where's the Kunoichi"<br>A strange aura of fear seemed to surround the Hokage as his frown grow deeper, before quickly dissipating.  
>"Don't worry Naruto-kun, she has been...dealt with and can no longer hurt you or anyone else again" the Hokage paused seemingly deflating in on himself "what do you remember" he asked with a weary voice<p>

"Everything" he said his voice starting out bland but his voice rose with escalating fury with every word.  
>"How she strapped me down and cut me open, how she told me how she'd been poisoning me for years, how she had planned to kill me when I was leaving the orphanage, how she would use me to become a legendary medic and get revenge at the same time, I remember how she thrust her kunai towards me and being surrounded by white light" he paused and turned towards the Hokage furry draining away as he saw the look of shock and disgust on the old man's face "I remember how I died...and then I was pulled back by glowing chains before waking up here"<p>

"She told me you know...why everyone hated me, about the demon sealed inside of me...you lied to me...you told me you dint know, why did you lie, Hokage-sama?"

Reeling back as if stung the Hokage struggled answer the one question he wished he dint have to,

"Naruto I...I had hoped you would never need to know, that people would realise they were being stupid and see you were just the container and not the demon, that you would have a normal childhood"

Naruto let out a hollow laughter that made Sarutobi cringe "is that a lie? What else have I been lied to about? My parents? Did you ever care for me, or was that a lie too?"

Now visibly shaking Sarutobi holding a slight panicky edge to it "Of course I care for you Naruto-kun you're like a grandson to me, I love you and I ...I" seeing Naruto's hollow look, the Hokage actually broke down in tears "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun I'm sorry, I thought that by not telling you I could let you enjoy a normal childhood but...it seems I was wrong" the Hokage sighed and Naruto suddenly realised how old the man looked, instead of the all-powerful Hokage he was used to seeing there was now the tired form of an old man "I made your father a promise on the day he died, that I would take care of you and no matter how hard I tried I always seemed to fail, your father made many enemy's ,Naruto-kun and I dint want them to find out about you so I kept your parentage secret from everyone, even you"

I wanted to protect you, yet It seems that I have failed even at that,... your mother... her name was Uzumaki Kushina, she was born in Uzushiogakure and she was one of the leaf's most powerful Jonin, she was strong enough to bind the Kyuubi no kitsune even as she was dying, with her chakra chains, a power that it seems she has now passed down to you, she was also...she was also the former container of the Kyuubi no kitsune"

Naruto's eyes widened in shock, his mother had been the container before him, he felt his heart flutter slightly even after all that had happened there was a part of him that hadn't believed he wasn't a demon, that his parents hadn't abandoned him and in fact loved him.

"My father?" Naruto suddenly asked hope now evident in his voice "Naruto I am afraid I cannot tell you that" when Naruto opened his mouth to object he saw the Hokage grow even wirer "Naruto please I cannot not yet please just wait... just wait in-till your, I'm ready"

Deflating slightly he nodded before speaking again "thank you, thank you grandpa " it seemed that he could still trust his grandfather, it made him feel glad, glade that one of his precious people really loved him.

For the first time since entering into the room Sarutobi smiled running his hand through the Naruto's hair.  
>"Get some rest Naruto, tomorrow you can leave and then how about me and you go somewhere, maybe even dog can come along"<p>

Naruto's eyes lit up and he nodded rapidly causing the Hokage to chuckle.  
>Standing up Sarutobi made to exit the room wishing a final good well towards his surrogate grandson before leaving.<p>

A smile stayed on Naruto's face even as his grandfather left, he count help feel happier than he had in a long time, No matter how bad things had been, things had changed and now things were finally looking up for him.  
>That smile stayed on his face even as he fell into the embrace of sleep.<p>

* * *

><p>"Well that didn't go to bad, Looks like I made the right choice, but now...now it all starts, I really hope I don't regret this." zero muttered his face turned towards a shadowy sky<p>

"Talking to yourself again?" the deep voice from before chuckled "he doesn't look like much, are you sure about this."

"yes I'm sure... at least I hope I am, there are allot of things that can go wrong, I am not omniscient, yet his potential, I am confident that he can be moulded into something great"

A deep snort echoed throw the void, "humans...ba, you should have chosen something else" the voice spoke letting the unspoken 'me' hang in the air "but for now I will go along with it. Wake me when it gets interesting"

Sigh "Kurama, even without the corruption...what happened to you"

* * *

><p>So anyone like it?<p>

1. Anyway give me any ideas you think would be good and if I use them I'll credit you,

2. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review

3. Remember reviews make me happy, flamers make me sad and nothing at all means I have no motivation.


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